Harescombe match lake, 11 pegs

Another trip up the m5 into deepest Gloucestershire to the little gem of a fishery that is Harescombe, there was 17 booked in originally but on the day for whatever reason this got whittled down to 11, alot of the usual suspects were missing and it was very quiet without the likes of Adam Caswell and Alan Healy.

After a top notch breakie Will was on had with the draw paying a top two and two sections, by its own high standards the weights have been relatively low over the winter months with 25-30lb being a decent weight, but one thing you can guarantee is a few bites off most pegs where your never far away from a f1 or two although catching them regular is whole different ball game!

Pegs ether side of the landslip are usually very favoured and Lionel Legg raised a smile when he pulled 29, another angler smiling was Steve Burgess who drew yet another corner peg this time being 16 at the top end, for my sins dipping in the bag disc no30 was staring back at me its a peg I've drew several times before having some good results from it.

Conditions were to be fair very good with a light breeze and very mild temperatures but no one was really sure what to expect. The one good thing about peg 30 is it affords you a great perspective of the lake giving you a perfect view on who's catching what, it does throw up its problems tho with a wicked undertow due to the waterfall and stream entering at this end of the lake, my plan of attack was one I've used to varying degrees of success at the fishery this winter and that was based on dripping caster through a kinderpot at various length between five to ten metres, now this worked to a certain degree but some proper rank bad angling was to cost me dear come the end.

Early doors and there was the odd fish being caught around the lake especially Matt Challenger on six who was fishing tight over catching f1s, as the match progressed tho there was a real peg to peg battle going on between Lee Williams on 20 and Steve on 16, also after a very quiet start Lionels pellet attack was starting to pay off as a good run of proper carp found they're way to the net.

Entering the final stages some peoples margins really sprang to life, Keith Ray on 12 in particular who had been feeding caster heavy had a great run of fish to make a late charge, all match id been catching small f1s in fits and starts never really pinning them down but moving into the last hour i was getting a positive bite every put in but this is where the bad angling took over as i started to prick and lose several fish, on close inspection it was clear id lost the point on my tubertini 808 but unlike most anglers who would of changed hook lengths like a twat i carried on! this was a major mistake as in the last ten minutes i lost three big f1s in a row 8-9lb of fish down the Swanee. On the whistle lionel lifted into a bite that proved to be very significant gingerly playing a very decent fish and landing a 5-6lb carp five minutes after the all out.

I don't think anyone was sure who'd won and this was bore out by an incredible set of close weights with just 6lb separating the top six anglers, first on the day with 45lb 15oz was Lee who made the long trip up from Bridgwater very worth while catching mainly on maggot, second and just over a pound behind with 44lb 4oz was Steve B also catching on maggot, it was a welcome change for Steve who has been catching bugger all lately and what made it even sweeter was he could spend his winnings on taking the new girlfriend on a trip to curry kings! something hes not done for along while, the top section was taken by Keith with 39lb 3oz on the caster with lionels last gasp carp nicking the bottom section with 40lb 2oz.

The Bridgwater pikey with his winning net, you can also find his take on things here http://woolavy.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/psv-match-harescombe-match-lake-24-01-16.html


FULL RESULT

1. LEE WILLIAMS              45LB 15OZ    PEG 20
2. STEVE BURGESS           44LB  4OZ             16
3. LIONEL LEGG                40LB  2OZ             29
4. MATT CHALLENGER   40LB                        6
5. CHRIS SZAKACS           39LB 12OZ            30
6. KEITH RAY                    39LB   3OZ            12
7. WILL DEARLOVE         30LB  8OZ             15
8. COLIN BUTLER             26LB                       3
9. STEVE SEWELL             16LB   8OZ            9
10. LEE WALLER                  16LB  4OZ           22
11. ROSS SEWELL                 2LB   9OZ           25

So yet another very close contest at a very fair venue, no match next week but the week after we are back down on tile lake at the sedges and if it stays mild the entire carp population might of spread out alittle and not all be sat in peg 37!